Memory of a Wolf
by Cettia cetti
Summary: Do you wonder why Remus always had a soft spot for Harry? Here is the answer!
1. Declaimer

Memory of a Wolf - by Cettia cetti  
  
Author notes: Hello everyone! I'm too lazy to type the declaimer every time I upload a new chapter. So I decide to write it here. Only one declaimer here will last for the following chapters! Anyway, this is my second fan-fiction. It's actually a story about Remus and little Harry. It's not slash, just a warm friendship bonding thing. The idea suddenly came to my mind during my examination period (I have a bad habit of doing other things and not concentrate on my study during difficult times), and I decided to write this out after my examination. So here it is! The Memory of a Wolf! Yay!  
  
Declaimer: I don't own any characters of J.K. Rowling. Although I create a few new characters, they were of little importance. Just ignore them and concentrate on Remus and little Harry!  
  
Spoilers: I think I spoil all 4 books, as well as the book concerning the magical creatures. What is the name? I can't remember the exact name of it. Never mind, you guys will know by heart.  
  
Main characters: Of course, Remus and little Harry were the main characters.  
  
Oh yeah, concerning the names of different places, I don't live in England and I'm poor in Geography, so I don't know the names of London streets and how a village is look like. I invent some new names and new surroundings for certain places. Forgive me.  
  
P.S. I want reviews. *holding a collection bin sheepishly* 


	2. The Decision

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 1 ¡V The Decision**

Remus Lupin walked out of the Whizzing Whiskey Store, a small and crowded shop in which different kinds of whiskey were sold, into Diagon Alley. _Life is so unfair, thought Remus miserably. No one would ever trust a werewolf. No one would care for a werewolf. Well, except for certain people. Professor Dumbledore was one of them. He was the first headmaster who allowed a werewolf to go to Hogwarts. Remus smiled at the thought. He could make friends in his own house tool. James, Peter and Sirius were the ones who did not stay away from him after they had found out what he was. Remus¡¦ eyes darkened and his mouth drew back to a snarl when the man, named Sirius, came into his mind. _

_That bastard! __How could he do such thing to James and Lily! Because of Black, all true friends of him were dead. Remus was glad that Sirius Black was thrown into Azkaban without a trail. A maniac who was crazy enough to kill his three best friends and thirteen innocent people! The murderer was probably more insane after he had spent four years with the Dementors. _Serve him right_, Remus thought bitterly._

¡§What are you staying for? Get out of my sight! You filthy werewolf!¡¨ Mr. Gilman shouted in disgust. 

He was furious that Remus had not told him that he was a dark creature, and he had to figure it out on his own. It was not difficult to identify a werewolf, as long as you kept a close eye on the suspect¡¦s lifestyle. Remus often asked for sick leaves once a month. Therefore, our dear Mr. Gilman decided to pay his employee a sudden visit two days ago. The result was that the shop keeper practically fled after he heard a wolf¡¦s howling. He made a mental note that he would fire Remus the next time he saw him. 

When Mr. Gilman was yelling, several people in the alley turned their attention towards the shop owner and Remus. They began to murmur with others softly and were throwing suspicious glances at Remus.

Remus quickly got out of the shop keeper¡¦s sight. He could not help feeling hurt. _When would these people learn? Werewolves were at least part-humans! _The dark creatures had feelings.They were sad, at the same time angry, because they could not stop themselves from turning to the horrible foul creatures once a month. Their minds were taken over by animal instincts once they turned to werewolves, and they knew nothing but to hurt and kill other living creatures. If they were not able to hunt, they would bite and scratch themselves instead. Remus winced as he unconsciously touched the self-inflicted wounds on his arm. It was a terrible memory. Waking up with a body that all ached over, and very torn clothing which could only be described as rags. Then the werewolf would find that numerous bite marks and scratches were present all over his limbs. And the worst of all, there were blood and bits of fresh inside his mouth.__

Remus left Diagon Alley quickly, but he held his chin high even when people were throwing him disgusted looks. After all, werewolves were more superior to vampires. Vampires were soulless creatures. The soul of the human was somewhat twisted into a demon during the transformation. The demon was trapped inside the body forever, unless the body was destroyed. The vampires would do nothing but drinking blood. They simply thought that devouring life forces of organisms was extremely entertaining. The soulless creatures had never tried to resist the blood lust. Remus, being a werewolf, was at least a soul-containing creature. Although all he had was a shattered soul, Remus had tried not to hurt others. He locked himself in a secret place during the full moon. The outcome was dreadful, but he would rather hurt himself than biting other people¡¦s legs off.

***

A month later, Remus still had not found a job. After the incident in the Whizzing Whiskey Store, a lot of people knew that Remus was a werewolf. Whenever Remus asked for a job, he often got negative answers. Some polite shop keepers would say that he did not meet the jobs¡¦ requirements, while others just told him to get lost, and glare at him as if he was pest. 

Remus ran a frustrating hand through his short, brown hair. He was running out of money! He did not fancy hunting in the woods- making him feel like his humanity was slipping away. He hated that feeling. The young man picked up the muggle newspapers he bought an hour ago, and began to read it carefully. He was going to find a new apartment to live in. the house owner had discovered what Remus was, and she had been raising the rent to force the werewolf to leave. Remus felt his lips curled into a smile when he found what he wanted. He used a quill to underline the important words, put the newspapers onto the sofa and started to pack his belongings. 

The fresh ink shone brightly in the candle light. It highlighted the tiny paragraph very clearly:

_A two-storied, 2500-sqare-feet house in _Surrey__ ready for rent.____

_Location: __Willow Drive__, Little Whinging_

_Garden: included_

_Rent: 200 pounds per month_

_For those who are interested, please contact Mr. Green by phone (xxxxxxxx)_

Muggles did not believe werewolves. They thought werewolves were only fantasy creatures.

No one would know his true identity.

He could start a new life in a muggle village. It was perfect.

Remus grinned to himself. He checked whether he had missed his own properties before he flicked his wand, changing the walls into a disgusting pink color. He was under so much stress recently, and he deserved to release it a bit. A sudden thought came to his mind. He had not done anything crazy since he was graduated from Hogwarts. He still remembered that he was the most inventive prankster among the Marauders. _May be a little prank won¡¦t hurt a lot, he thought wickedly. He conjured a basket of green paint, and began to write some chosen words on the wall, using a rather large paintbrush._

IT FEELS LIKE SHIT WHEN I CHANGE MY FUR INSIDE THIS BLOODY HOUSE!! 

Remus admired his work, but jumped a foot high when the front door clicked. The house owner there was trying to ¡¥persuade¡¦ Remus to leave again.

Remus¡¦ eyes gleamed with mischief. He grabbed his bag in his left hand, and busied himself writing a note, which stated that he would never be back again. When the house owner entered the living room, the werewolf greeted her innocently, ¡§How are you, Mrs. Smith?¡¨

Mrs. Smith was shocked at seeing the sickly pink living room. Remus chuckled and waved his wand again. All the furniture and Mrs. Smith¡¦s hair sprouted sunflowers at an alarming rate. 

¡§I send my best wishes to you, sweetheart,¡¨ the young man said playfully, and disapparated as quickly as he could.

The last thing he heard was the angry shriek of a pissed-off woman.


	3. New house, new kid

Author notes: So, here it is! Chapter 2 of MoW! Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that I'm a very slow and lazy part-time writer. It means that I'll only write if I have mood or time! I'm sorry that I couldn't update frequently as other wonderful writers, but I've tried my best already… If you're still not satisfied, then I can't help you. Too bad.

Special thanks to my beta-reader, Hettie.

Happy reading!

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 2 – New house, new kid**

Remus put his things on the dining table in his new found home. He was glad that Lily had taught him how to use a muggle telephone and muggle money. He found Mr. Green two hours ago, and the house owner immediately gave him a tour of the house. It was strange that Mr. Green was desperate to loan his house as soon as possible. The rent was very cheap, and Remus was curious about that. He looked guiltily at the payment receipt. The young man had not brought enough muggle money, so he had to transfigure some leaves into the paper things. He just hoped Mr. Green would not discover that.

The young werewolf picked up his precious newspapers again, this time checking for job vacancies. He used some color pens to highlight the details. It was better for him to pretend that he was a muggle, yet he still had to apparate from time to time as he did not have a car. He checked the place on a map carefully, which was given by an oddly kind Mr. Green, and willed himself to be in the employment agencies.

Remus landed hard on a toilet seat. "This is the worst apparition I've ever made!" he exclaimed and held his bottom dearly. It was dangerous to apparate to an unfamiliar place. Luckily, he did not end up sitting on the toilet with someone else. Remus straightened his transfigured muggle clothing once more, and walked towards the office.

One and a half hour later, Remus left the employment agencies happily. He managed to get two part-time jobs in a bar and a bookstore. He also posted a note on the board, stating that he was willing to baby-sit children. He had not thought about getting a full-time job. The employer would probably not be pleased as he needed a few days for rest around the full moon period. Remus brought two sandwiches from a nearby supermarket. He then went to a deserted corner and apparated to his house.

***

Remus opened an eye. It was not the familiar dining table. He wished he was just having a bad dream, as he opened the other one. He eyes met a new street he had never gone to.

"Holy shit!" the werewolf shouted. He suddenly felt dizzy and light-headed. It had only been two days since the last full moon and he needed more time to recuperate his health. If he could not master enough energy to apparate again, he would have to stick to this place for a whole night. He sat down to catch his breath. A man come out of the opposite house and stared at him suspiciously. _Who cares!_ Remus cursed silently. It was bad enough to have two unsuccessful apparitions a day. 

A strange noise caught his attention. Remus turned over his shoulder to find the source of the sound. What he saw made him smile inwardly. A child, about three or four years old, was struggling with shopping bags. His right hand was clutching a large plastic bag, so big that it was touching the ground. The little boy tried to lift the bag off the ground but with no avail. _His legs were so short!_ Remus snorted. It was a funny sight.

The boy looked straight to Remus's eyes suddenly. Startling green eyes met chestnut brown ones. The child's eyes clearly send a message: don't mess with me. Then he concentrated on dragging his plastic bag again, as well as holding a big paper one close to his chest with his left arm. A few of the contents fell out of the paper bag. The boy's reaction was fast. He let go of the plastic one and made some desperate gestures, trying to catch the falling objects. In the confusion, the kid's small foot was tangled with the shopping bag and he lost his balance. Several objects flew through the air as the child fell flat on his face in a loud crash.

Remus was torn between bursting out laughing and feeling sorry for the boy. His lips still stitched uncontrollably, but he chose the latter decision. He was at the boy's side in tow strides. He helped the boy to a sitting position and started to pick the fallen things back to the bags.

"Are you okay, kid?" Remus asked kindly, afraid that the child was hurt.

"I- I'm sorry!" the child squeaked, his voice terrified.

Remus looked up at the boy. He was startled. _Why on earth was this boy apologizing to him? The child was in a mess. A large bruise was formed on the left side of his cheek; and his palms were starting to bleed. _

"You don't need to say sorry. You haven't done anything wrong." Remus tried to give the boy a reassuring smile. _Muggles__ are really strange, he thought. He placed his hand on the child's shoulder and tried to comfort him._

The child, however, recoiled so suddenly that he almost knocked Remus off his feet when the man touched him. He backed away from Remus clumsily, and ended up damaging his wounds even more. His emerald green eyes showed nothing but fear and pain, the don't-mess-with-me look had already crumbled into a million pieces during his fall. The poor kid was now trying to fight back his tears and swallow his sobs.

"Look, kid. You're injured. I'll never hurt you. Trust me, I'm going to help you, okay?" Remus said softly. When he saw the little boy nodding dumbly, he approached the child once more. The child flinched again upon body contact, but managed to stay still. Remus took out a clean handkerchief and tore it into two pieces. He wrapped one of them around the child's right palm, and did the same to the other one.

"Your wounds need cleaning. Go home and ask your mum to do it for you," the werewolf said gently, wondering why the kid's parents would instruct the child to do such heavy shopping.

"She's dead," the child said shortly. He had an almost haunted look in his eyes as he spoke.

"I'm sorry," Remus murmured uncomfortably. He knew he had hurt the child's feelings. 

_The boy seemed oddly familiar… He knew the big emerald green eyes and messy black hair somewhere; he just could not put his finger on it._

"Hmm, what's your name then?" he tried to change the subject and cheer up the child a bit.

"Ha- my name is Hans," the boy spoke softly, as if he was scared to be scolded.

Remus raised an eyebrow. The kid was a hopeless liar. He avoided eye contact when he lied, how obvious. Kids would certainly speak their names proudly when people asked them. It was their nature. This one was different… He seemed to be a little bit withdrawn. Remus decided not to press on the subject. He had developed a liking towards the kid.

"Alright, Hans, let me help you with these bags," he helped the kid to stand up and grabbed the shopping bags.

"No… Please. I can hold them on my own," Hans tugged Remus' sleeve and pleaded. His voice was mixed with fear and panic. Remus was again surprised at the child's abnormal behavior.

"Why not? You'll only hurt yourself even more if you hold the things again."

Remus lifted the child easily and picked up the two bags. Hans was so shocked that he did not move in the beginning. Then realization kicked in, and the boy started to squirm violently, wishing to get back onto the ground.

"Don't move!" Remus said shrilly, in a louder voice than he intended to.

Hans became rigid in Remus' arm immediately. He mumbled softly, "Sorry,"

Remus smacked himself mentally. He had scared the kid again. He ought to try a different approach.

Remus looked into the boy's eyes. "Hans, I'm just preventing you from hitting the ground. Why don't you stay still in my arms? I assure you it's really comfortable," a small smile appeared on Hans' face and Remus continued in a cheerful voice, "You may want to wrap your arms around my neck too; it'll make me feel warmer."

Hans raised his arms hesitantly. "May I?" he asked in a timid manner.

Remus nodded and Hans wrapped his tiny arms around the man's neck. The boy's arms were cold and stiff. The feeling sent a chill down Remus' spine and he tried his best not to shudder.

"So, where do you live, Hans?"

"Number four, Privet Drive," came the muffled reply.

Anonymous: Very interesting review… *rub my chin thoughtfully* By the way, how do you know that I'm a girl? Although my name and the elvish name look like a girl's one, it doesn't mean that I'm a she! *looking rather hurt*

Just joking… I'm a not-too-old, not-too-young female writer, honest. 

One more thing to add, I'm not afraid of temper tantrum… Your protest falls on dead ears. *give a crooked smile*

Zaksgirllol: Child abuse? It seems that everyone likes to read a bit of this thing… Hmm, just a little bit. I mean, not physical abuse, but mental abuse instead. I'm not sure whether I'm capable to write brutal child abuse scene… *sigh*

Angel of Doom: Thanks! Hope to see you update soon! I'm still waiting for your new chapter… 

Nameless: Thanks for notifying me the mistake… I think I should read the HP series for at least 10 more times… I've corrected it now.

Amaya, Kitty, Tempest in blue, Dana. A, Severussnape and Emily: Thank you for your reviews. Hope to see you again! 

Review… Review and Review! :D


	4. My Family

Author¡¦s notes: Here¡¦s the chapter three of ¡§Memory of a Wolf¡¨. I received 12 reviews for the previous chapter. Thank you very much. I hope you¡¦ll like this chapter too. I¡¦d spent a lot of time in writing it¡K Does anyone who realizes that this chapter is a bit longer? Anyway, _Enjoy!_

Special thanks to my beta-reader, Hettie

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 3 ¡V My Family**

Hans had finally relaxed in Remus¡¦ arms. The werewolf, however, had difficulty finding the boy¡¦s home. Every house looked the same and he had to check the doorplates frequently. At last, Hans had to point out that Remus only needed to walk straight ahead until he reached a house which had a green front door.

¡§Stupid muggle village,¡¨ Remus muttered under his breath.

¡§Stupid mango?¡¨ Hans recited, totally bewildered.

¡§Ah¡K Nothing,¡¨ Remus replied. On the way, Remus succeeded to carry a nice conversation with Hans. Although Hans always avoided answering his questions, he knew Hans had lost his parents a long time ago, and he was now living with his only relatives. When Hans told him that he was five years old, Remus wondered aloud, ¡§Five? You look like a three-year-old!¡¨

Hans blushed and protested, ¡§Do not!¡¨

¡§Yes you do,¡¨ Remus said triumphantly. ¡§Is this your home?¡¨ the man asked when he spotted the green front door. The kid¡¦s face fell.

¡§Yes,¡¨ he answered in disappointment. Remus frowned. Hans was not happy to go home? _How very strange_.

¡§Could you please put me down, sir? My aunt will have my head if she sees this,¡¨ Hans mumbled quietly, his green eyes darting here and there, as if being scared to be seen.

Remus sighed inwardly. _The child¡¦s uncle and aunt must treat him badly_. He put Hans on the ground carefully, handing the shopping bags back to the child. 

¡§Be careful with your palms, kiddo. It still hurts,¡¨ he warned gently.

Hans made no response to him, but he seemed to be struggling to say something. He opened his mouth and closed it abruptly for several times.

¡§What is it, child?¡¨ Remus asked, sensing the child¡¦s hesitation.

¡§Where do you live, sir?¡¨ Hans¡¦ innocent eyes were glowing with anticipation.

¡§Well, I live in Willow Drive, although I don¡¦t know how to go there right now¡K Never mind that. You want to see me, Hans?¡¨ Remus scratched his head sheepishly. He had forgotten that he was lost¡K 

How embarrassing it was.

Hans¡¦ eyes became huge at his words. ¡§That¡¦s cool! It¡¦s next to Privet Drive!¡¨ he piped, jumping up and down in excitement. He did not realize that his words would be so important for the werewolf.

¡§Wh- what?¡¨ Remus nearly choked in his own saliva. He couldn¡¦t believe his luck.

¡§Willow Drive! I often go there when I¡¦m bored. There is a shortcut leading to it,¡¨ the child grinned widely.

¡§Could you tell me where the shortcut is?¡¨ Remus asked with a tremor in his voice. _Oh thank Merlin for that! I can go home at last!_

¡§You see the small woodland there? Just go through it and you¡¦ll see the street sign,¡¨ Hans answered enthusiastically, ¡§There¡¦re a lot of fluffy animals too!¡¨

¡§Oh! Thank you very much!¡¨ Remus nearly cried in happiness. He hugged the boy fiercely. ¡§Hope to see you soon!¡¨ he waved to a dumbfounded Hans as he made a dash towards the woodland.

***

Hans was rooted on the spot. _No one had ever hugged him before! Did this man care for him?_ He didn¡¦t even know the nice man¡¦s name. Hans was so involved in his thoughts that he did not notice the green front door was opened and a horse-face woman was making her way towards him.

¡§What are you doing here, boy? Get into the house! NOW!¡¨ the woman snapped. Before Hans could answer, he was being yanked into the hallway painfully. The woman shoved the door closed with a bang. 

She turned around and faced the kid, her hands on her hips. Then she shouted.

¡§So, answer me. WHAT are you doing with that man?¡¨

¡§Nothing ma¡¦am,¡¨ Hans mumbled. He suddenly found the tiny dot on the carpet very fascinating.

¡§_Nothing?_ Then why is he helping you? Who is _he_?¡¨ the woman was enraged that her nephew had made friends with a stranger.

¡§I- I don¡¦t know his name,¡¨ Hans answered, a bit frightened. _Why was his aunt so mad at him?_

¡§HA! You don¡¦t know _him_ and _he doesn¡¦t know you!¡¨ the woman imitated her nephew¡¦s childlike voice. She really did look like an ugly horse when she twisted her face. ¡§You little liar! Who will help the good-for-nothing Harry Potter? Those who are willing or even thinking to help you are probably freaks!¡¨_

Harry, the boy once referred himself as Hans, felt a sudden surge of anger. _She had no right to speak ill of that kind gentleman! He did not know where the courage came from, yet the felt the urge to defend for the man._

¡§He- He¡¦s not a freak!¡¨ Harry blurted out.

Harry¡¦s aunt was taken aback. However, she was quick to gain back her composure. ¡§How dare you talk back to me? Who do you think you are? You¡¦re rubbish! Totally hopeless, just like your parents!¡¨

¡§They¡¦re not!¡¨ Harry yelled. His little body was shaking with rage. He would not let anyone humiliate his deceased parents. He was starting to hear a humming noise in his ears. The woman was fuming by now and she seemed to be lost for words.

¡§What¡¦s it, dear?¡¨ a bulky man grunted as he made his way down the stairs. The kid and the woman were making too much noise.

¡§Vernon!¡¨ the woman exclaimed, ¡§This brat let a stranger know he¡¦s living with us! He¡¦s making horrible excuses too! You know what? You don¡¦t know how nasty he looks when he talks about his parents-¡¨

¡§You started it!¡¨ Harry yelled, cutting her off again. The man¡¦s face grew red and then purple. He grabbed a handful of the boy¡¦s hair and pulled the defenseless child towards him. He bent down until their faces were several inches apart.

¡§You will not shout or yell at us under my roof!¡¨ Harry¡¦s uncle hissed dangerously. He pulled the kid¡¦s jet black hair violently, causing Harry to yelp in pain. ¡§And for your parents,¡¨ he added, ¡§They¡¦re only nuisances, you bastard.¡¨

That was the final straw. Harry¡¦s chest swelled up with anger and fear. His vision darkened and the ringing noise inside his head was so loud that it was giving him a headache. He thought he was going to faint. He shut his eyes tightly and waited for his fate.

Harry¡¦s aunt suddenly emitted a loud gasp.

¡§What¡¦s wrong, Petunia?¡¨ the man was at his wife¡¦s side in a flash.

¡§My apron! It¡¦s getting tighter and tighter!¡¨

¡§Just undo the knot,¡¨ Harry¡¦s uncle soothed.

¡§No- I can¡¦t!¡¨ she gasped again, ¡§It- it hurts!¡¨ 

Fear started to fill her eyes as she desperately tried to pull the strings apart without success.

The man panicked. He also tried to undo the knot, but he strings were tangled tighter together by an unknown force. They were squeezing harder by the minute and were cutting into the woman¡¦s waist. Harry¡¦s aunt howled in pain.

¡§I¡¦m going to cut the strings. Don¡¦t worry, dear,¡¨ Vernon assured his wife, his hands shaking a little bit. Just as he hurried off towards the kitchen, he accidentally knocked Harry over. Harry let out a ¡§huff¡¨ and he crashed onto the floor. He opened his eyes and discovered that his vision was clear again. However, he felt strangely drained and a bit light-headed.

¡§Out of my way, you _brat_!¡¨ Vernon shouted impatiently. He was about to shove his nephew aside, but stopped as he saw his wife hastily throwing away her apron.

¡§H- How did that happen? I could take off the apron suddenly¡K¡¨ the woman whispered in fright, not fully recovered from the incident.

The adults then realized that Harry was looking rather pale and was catching his breath. The answer started to sink into their minds.

¡§YOU! You did _that_!¡¨ Petunia pointed a shaking finger at Harry, whose eyes were widened in confusion. ¡§How dare you! Trying to kill me?¡¨ 

Her husband was also fuming. He pulled his nephew roughly to his feet, and started to scold at the kid.

¡§HOW MANY TIMES I¡¦VE TOLD YOU! YOU¡¦RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO FREAKISH THINGS IN MY HOUSE!¡¨ Vernon pulled his nephew¡¦s ear so hard that the boy whimpered.

¡§I didn¡¦t do anything!¡¨ Harry cried. His uncle ignored him and pushed him into the cupboard under the stairs. ¡§I don¡¦t know what happened! I¡¦m sorry!¡¨ the child continued.

¡§YOU. SHUT. UP! Hear me?¡¨ Harry¡¦s uncle spat, then he growled, ¡§No dinner for a week!¡¨ 

He locked the door and went away. Harry curled up in his small bed, refusing to let the tears roll down his cheeks.

***

Jarvey: I like your story too. When will you update again?

Alle: I¡¦m not planning to make this as an alternative universe story. It seems impossible, but I¡¦d like take this challenge. How do I make it as a non-AU story? You¡¦ll know later, I promise.

Kateydidnt: Well, I actually update ¡§Memory of a Wolf¡¨ here first¡K It¡¦s because on fictionalley.org, the updating procedure often takes me more than 15 minutes. By the time I¡¦ve filled out the form, I¡¦ve already logged off automatically. I get so frustrated that I go back to fanfiction.net to upload a new chapter. However, I decide to update new chapters of another story ¡§Friend or Foe¡¨ on the Dark Arts first from now on. I really need to practise for filling out the form quickly.

Ms. Issues: Remus couldn¡¦t figure out Harry was being abused because he hadn¡¦t handled any abuse cases before. He had already suspected Harry¡¦s guardians were not easy-going people. He noticed Harry would flinch upon physical contact, but he thought that it was an exaggerated shy act because Harry didn¡¦t seem to trust him.

Darcel: Again, it is not an AU. If I make it an alternative universe story, I don¡¦t know how to end the story. Anyway, I hope you¡¦ll like it.

Crystal: Child abuse? Hmm, do you think this chapter would qualify? I don¡¦t want to hit Harry¡K he¡¦s so small and adorable! May be I could just make him feel sick and let Remus to look after him¡K

K00lgirl1808: I hope that you¡¦ll like this chapter. I also agree that mental abuse is as bad as physical abuse. The Harry in J. K. Rowling was being mistreated as well. No child deserves to sleep in the cupboard.

Avlyn, Asellus, Barbara, Misti and BlackHedwig22: Thanks for your reviews. Hope to see you again!


	5. The Visit

**Special thanks to my beta-readers, Hettie and Sar Davis.**

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 4 ¡V The Visit**

Remus stretched his legs and groaned into his pillows. He had a hard time working in the bar last night. The drunken customers shouted at each other with no reason, and ended up in a confusing fight. Remus had managed to separate the fuming-for-nothing people, after he had been hit for a thousand times. _Those muggles! The sleepy man massaged his ribs gingerly. Several large bruises had already formed on his chest. _

Remus sat up slowly, avoiding hurting his battered torso even more. He had to start working at ten o¡¦clock in the bookstore today. With a sigh, Remus got off his bed and went to the washroom to wash his face. Then he devoured some bread that he found on the kitchen table, got changed and went to work. He hoped that he would not meet so many demanding and troublesome customers today.

***

The day went on uneventfully. Remus sat on the sofa in his house and enjoyed his apple-flavored tea. He looked at the clock and yawned. It was 4 p.m. He wondered what he could do as he felt genuinely bored. His thoughts wandered aimlessly until an image of a raven-haired kid came into his mind. Remus smiled tenderly. He was going to pay the child an unexpected visit.

Remus went through the little woodland that Hans had told him that it was a shortcut between Willow Drive and Privet Drive. He emerged from the forest five minutes later and tried to spot a house which had an oddly green front door.

His face fell when he noticed that there was no front door with the correct color.

Remus groaned. He did not want to check the doorplates house by house. A clink caught his attention. He turned to the source of the sound and saw little Hans was picking something up from the ground. He was carrying a bucket of paint and a paintbrush. The little boy then sat on the lawn of his home, facing the flower bed. He dipped the paintbrush into the sticky liquid expertly, and started to paint the fence with great care, mimicking a skillful artist so well.

The young wizard frowned. The determined look on Hans¡¦ face was so familiar. _He looks just like James, he mused. Then he sighed inwardly. _Stop dwelling in the past!_ His inner voice growled. He knew that if he wanted to move on and continue his life, he had to forget his past. Remus gave a little shake and tiptoed towards Hans._

Hans seemed to know that someone was watching him closely. He turned around nervously and his gaze fell upon a big plastic flower pot. Remus, unfortunately, was hiding behind it. He could almost feel Hans¡¦ gaze penetrating the pot and staring at him. He held his breath until Hans turned back to his work.

_That was close, Remus thought. He let out a relieved sigh and waited patiently. Seeing Hans was finally immersed in his job, he sneaked behind the little boy. He took a deep breath silently and shouted._

¡§BOO!¡¨

Remus was sure that Hans had jumped at least three-feet high. His little arms flailed about wildly and nearly painted Remus¡¦ face. With a speed that only a werewolf could possess, Remus snatched the paintbrush out of the kid¡¦s hand and held him still.

¡§Hey! It¡¦s _me_!¡¨ Remus said as he steered Hans to face him.

Hans stopped his struggling at once. He looked at Remus carefully. Then recognition replaced the fear in his eyes.

¡§Hello, sir,¡¨ Hans whispered back, shyly.

¡§Don¡¦t call me sir, kid. I¡¦ve a name, you know. It¡¦s Remus Lupin,¡¨ Remus teased playfully.

¡§May I ask what are you doing here, Mr. Lupin?¡¨ Hans asked in a rather small voice, his face flushed in embarrassment. It seemed like the little boy did not talk with people often.

Remus found the extreme politeness in the kid¡¦s tone a bit disturbing. However, he pushed away the though when he looked at Hans¡¦ little face. The child looked really cute when he blushed.

¡§I¡¦m looking for you,¡¨ said Remus, who was trying hard not to smile. ¡§What are you doing?¡¨

¡§Painting the fence,¡¨ Hans said simply. 

¡§Why? It seems fine to me,¡¨ Remus said as he observed the fence. It was obvious that the fence was painted not so long ago. He didn¡¦t know Hans liked painting and he didn¡¦t think that the boy should try his talent on the fence.

¡§My aunt doesn¡¦t like the color. She likes deep brown, not muddy yellow. I should have remembered that,¡¨ Hans sighed unhappily.

¡§What? Your aunt asked you to paint the fence? You¡¦re only a five-year-old!¡¨ Remus exclaimed incredulously. He could not think of any woman who was crazy enough to let a child to do the job.

Hans decided not to reveal that his aunt had forced him to do this chore. After all, he should not speak ill of his family in front of other people. Instead, he asked in a timid voice as he stretched out his hands, ¡§Could I have my paintbrush back, sir?¡¨

Remus stared at Hans in disbelief. The boy would not even complain about the unfair chore! He just wanted to ask the kid if he would like some help, but he closed his mouth with a snap when he saw Hans¡¦ tiny palms. He grabbed one of the child¡¦s wrists and took a close look of the small palm.

Hans¡¦ palms were both swollen and red. Pus and little amount of blood were seeping through the gashes. If Remus was not mistaken, the wounds looked to be over a week old. They had not healed yet and there was a serious inflammation.

¡§You haven¡¦t taken care of your wounds since last week, have you?¡¨ Remus asked softly, his mind screaming something about why the boy had not covered his wounds with gauzes, in the least.

The werewolf probed the child¡¦s wounds with his finger gently, examining the degree of tissue damage. He jerked his hand away when Hans emitted a tiny hiss of pain. 

¡§Sorry! Do I hurt you? I didn¡¦t mean to-¡¨ Remus said hurriedly as he loosened his grip a bit.

Hans snatched his hand back quickly and hid both of his hands behind his back. He lowered his head and mumbled, ¡§It¡¦s okay, sir,¡¨

Remus sighed in defeat. He knew Hans was in great pain as the kid was biting his lower lip so hard. _Why didn¡¦t he just express his true feelings?_ The man was a bit hurt that Hans did not trust him, but he chose not to speak it aloud. Instead, he led the boy towards the entrance of the house.

Hans could not help but became alarmed. _What if Mr. Lupin is a thief indeed?_ Is he going to use me to break into my aunt¡¦s home? Hans thought frantically. Although his aunt did not treat him well, he would not let a thief get what he wanted. He shifted nervously and asked, ¡§What are you doing, sir?¡¨

***

_Author¡¦s notes: I¡¦m sorry that I haven¡¦t updated for such a long time. I have an extremely busy and demanding school life recently. I can¡¦t promise you that I¡¦ll update regularly, but I can tell you that I¡¦m still working on my stories._

_Thanks to all reviewers: _

**_Jordon, Thewalrus1, Darcel, K00lgirl1808, Avlyn, Molly Weasley85, Ms. Issues, Jennifer13, KC, Kylena, Kangaroo, IrishEyes, Skipastarseeker, Kellyn Smith and Dimgwrthien, Lady of Shadow_**

****

**_Lady Macbeth10__: Will I make Remus Harry¡¦s father¡K? Well, Remus would act like a father figure in this story. I don¡¦t plan to make this story as an AU fiction. Your suggestion is really good and I¡¦d like to try this storyline if I¡¦ve time._**

**_Rain Warrior__: I don¡¦t know whether I¡¦m good at describing mental abuse¡K I¡¦ve never tried that in my life. I think neglecting a child, or lowering a child¡¦s self-esteem on purpose is already considered to be mental abuse. What do you think?_**

**_Porcelain Princess__: It¡¦d be a good idea that Remus worked in Grunnings. However, I don¡¦t think __Vernon_ would be happy to hire a man with no experience and certification at all¡K __**

**_Piper Petermeier_**_: Thank you for your support, Any, Nony and Mous. I¡¦ll be aware of Mous¡¦ famous tantrums from now on. I¡¦m really curious about whether you¡¦re three individuals or three different personalities? _


	6. To Care

Thanks to my beta-readers, Hettie and Sar Davis  
  
Memory of a Wolf  
Chapter 5 - To care  
  
Remus could feel his heart squeezed in pain when he saw the distrust and suspicions in the child's eyes. Even a kid does not trust me, he thought bitterly. Nevertheless, he gave a sad smile to Hans.  
  
"I'm going to clean up your wounds a bit, or else other areas will get infected, too."  
  
"My aunt says no one, besides my uncle and Dudley, can go into the house," Hans said uncertainly, keeping a close look at the older man. Had he mistaken the man's good intention as a bad one?  
  
Remus had not noticed there was something wrong in the sentence. He was very busy hiding his hurt expression. He took deep breaths and tried to keep his tone as neutral as possible.  
  
"In that case, could you bring me a glass of water and a clean cloth? I'll wait for you here."  
  
Hans looked at Remus wearily. He could see the concern and hurt in the man's eyes. The child sighed and dropped his gaze.  
  
"I'm not allowed."  
  
"Huh?" Remus uttered stupidly. He could not quite catch what Hans had just said.  
  
"I can't go inside. Aunt Petunia says so," Hans repeated in an even smaller voice as he turned his head away.  
  
Remus face wore an extremely incredulous look, for which the child found it very amusing to look at. What? They make a kid do the painting, even if the child's hands are wounded badly! What kind of guardians are they? It's dangerous enough to let a five-year-old stay in the house alone! They're insane, locking their defenseless nephew outside! Merlin knows what will happen to him!  
  
Hans could almost hear what Remus was thinking. He frowned a bit and tugged Remus' coat gently.  
  
"I can look after myself. You see, I'm already five years old." The child tried to talk like a confident adult, but failed miserably.  
  
Remus' eyes became so huge that they almost popped out of the sockets. Hans observed warily, wondering what was wrong with the man.  
  
"Oh Hans- I'm going to get some water and a tower. Stay here and don't wander about, okay?" the young wizard managed to say. He was still a bit dazed after he heard what the little boy had said.  
  
Not waiting for the kid's answer, Remus rushed towards the small woodland. He apparated to his house and got the essential stuff. When he was about to apparate again, he suddenly remembered something. Remus summoned a healing potion and pocketed it safely. Checking that he had packed everything, he willed himself to appear in the forest. Then he ran hurriedly to where Hans lived.  
  
To his dismay, Hans was painting the fence again, completely ignoring his wounds. Remus sighed and walked towards the child. He kneeled on one knee and tapped the kid on his shoulder.  
  
"Come on, let's take care of your wounds first."  
  
Remus pried the boy's fingers off the paintbrush. He could see a flicker of surprise across Hans' small face. As gentle as possible, Remus started to clean the gashes, pausing whenever he felt the boy flinched in pain. At the corner of his eye, Remus saw Hans was chewing his lower lip, which was an attempt to prevent him from crying out loud. This boy was definitely strange among the others at his age, the werewolf thought.  
  
After all the pus and blood was wiped away, Remus applied some of the healing potions on the wounds. He covered the child's injured area with gauzes quickly, hoping the boy could not see the effects of the magical medicine. The wizard bandaged the boy's palms gracefully. He had done this so many times to himself that he could be qualified as a physician's assistant.  
  
Hans could feel the pain that had been disturbing him for almost a week was slowly ebbing away. He could almost feel new skin was growing in the injured area. There was a tingling sensation, which seemed like his delicate skin was mending together- but was it his own imagination? Hans was dying to tear off the bandages and observe his wounds.  
  
"Don't take off the bandages so soon, otherwise the wounds wouldn't heal properly," Remus said, sounding like a professional as he started to pack the things back into his pockets. "Your palms will still itch a bit these few days. Don't worry about that."  
  
Hans nodded feebly and mumbled, "Thank you, sir."  
  
Remus smiled warmly, "You're welcome."  
  
The man picked up the paintbrush and began to work on the fence. He muffled his laugh when he was Hans' wide-eyed expression.  
  
"What's the matter, child?"  
  
Hans opened and closed his mouth several times. Finally he found his words and whispered softly, "You don't need to do this for me, sir."  
  
"Nonsense! No kid as young as you should do this type of chores," Remus stated disapprovingly. He continued to put the paint on the fence in a mechanical way.  
  
Hans decided not to protest about it, although he thought that he could handle the housework very nicely. The little boy sat beside Remus and remained silent, wondering why on earth he could meet such kind gentleman in his life.  
  
Remus, on the other hand, did not like this uncomfortable silence. He told some jokes, trying to entertain the adorable kid and himself. He could not help but noticed that though the boy laughed at certain points, the happiness did not quite meet his eyes.  
  
Half an hour later, most part of the fence was changed into a lovely deep brown color. Remus stretched his arms and stole a glance at the young child. It was a very hot day. Hans' hair appeared like a cloth, sticking on his forehead tightly. Remus was about to brush the hair out of the child's eyes when he noticed the green orbs were glazed over.  
  
"Hans?" Remus asked in worry.  
  
The werewolf's voice snapped the child back to reality. Hans drew a deep breath and his eyes focused on Remus again.  
  
"My aunt is coming back. You'd better go," Hans said in a hush voice, his eyes widened slightly in fear.  
  
"How do you know-?"  
  
"Please. Don't let her see you," the kid avoided his question and pleaded. His young face was serious, showing that it was not a joke.  
  
Remus could hear a faint growl of a car engine coming nearer and nearer. As Hans implied that his aunt did not like him to speak to other people, Remus was not going to cause the nice boy any trouble. He gave Hans a loose hug before heading towards the short cut towards his home.  
  
"I'll see you around, kid," he called over his shoulder. Remus smiled when he saw the hopeful look on Hans' face. He kept staring at the child, until he hit his head on a tree with a sickening bang.  
  
* * *  
  
Thanks to all reviewers: Kemenran, Jennifer13, k00lgirl1808, Dimgwrthien Adeline, Katie, PhoenixPadfoot89 and moo  
  
Rain Warrior: I can't update regularly as I'm really busy with my schoolwork. I know this reason is lame. I'm having my reading week now and hopefully I can upload one more chapter.  
  
Kateydidnt: I know there's something wrong with uploading the apostrophes. May be it's because I saved the file as web. I'd tried to upload a doc file, but I found that italics could not be uploaded in that way. 


	7. Doing my Usual Housework

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 6 - Doing my Usual Housework**

Harry had to turn away in order to hide his laugh, as he saw Mr. Lupin stupidly walked into a tree. He knew he should feel sorry for the man, yet he could not help his lips curling upward. The boy's smile, faltered a bit when Mr. Lupin disappeared from view. Somehow he felt guilty for lying to this nice gentleman. He wanted to tell Mr. Lupin that his real name was Harry, but he could not risk his aunt discovering this. His aunt would be _very mad at him even if he attempted to have a short conversation with other people. More importantly, Mr. Lupin would hate him if the man knew 'Hans' was lying to him._

Harry gave a not-very-childish sigh as his mind lingered on that unpleasant thought. May be he should find Mr. Lupin and reveal his true name. There was a chance that the man would forgive him. The gentleman was so kind that he helped Harry to paint the fence and cleaned the little boy's wounds. Harry vowed that he had never met such nice person before. He fingered the bandages that were wrapping around his palms. A strange feeling was swelling within his innocent heart. _Was Mr. Lupin worried about me?_ Harry smiled. If any person looked closely, he or she would notice that there were sparkles of happiness and hope swirling within the beautiful green pools.

Unfortunately, the child's happiest musing was shattered into pieces when a car skidded to a halt in front of the lawn. A horse-like woman stepped out of the car, carrying several shopping bags. She turned around and her eyes rested on her nephew's skinny form.

"I thought I told you to finish painting the fence before I come back." she snarled. She looked at Harry in a distasteful way, as if the boy was a filthy bug.

"It¡¦s almost done, Aunt Petunia. I¡¦m sorry-" Harry said in a small voice.

Petunia sneered. She looked down at her nephew, who shrank uncomfortably under her glare.

"You're just being lazy, you useless brat!" the woman hissed. Then she threw the chopping bags at the boy's feet.

Harry looked at the bags. He raised his head and stared at his aunt questionably.

"Well, what're you waiting for? Take these bags into the house!" Aunt Petunia snapped. She was not in a good mood today. 

Harry gulped. "Yes, Aunt Petunia," he said as he dragged the heavy bags clumsily towards the front door.

Petunia watched her nephew like a hawk. She did not like her sister very much. She dared to say that she had been loathing Lily, her freakish blood sibling, since they slept in the same bedroom when they were in their childhood. She was not upset when she knew that Lily was killed. Instead, she was furious. _Now I have to take care of this abnormal brat! She glared at the back of Harry's head and snorted in satisfaction as she saw the child nearly trip._

Harry felt the hair on his neck stood on end as his aunt glared at him. He did not miss the unfriendly chuckle when he stumbled.

"Bad old woman," he muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" the 'bad old woman' snapped, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Nothing, ma'am," said Harry hastily, hoping his aunt did not hear what he had said.

Aunt Petunia was about the say something nasty when the door bell rang. She shoved Harry into the kitchen and gave him a don't-you-dare-to-leave look, before she went to answer the door.

Harry shuffled quietly in the kitchen, listening intently.

"Oh! Mrs. Warren! How nice to see you again! How're you doing recently?" Aunt Petunia greeted in an oily voice.

"As usual, Mrs. Dursley. I've baked an apple pie. I think you'd like it," Mrs. Warren replied, her voice was so raspy that little Harry wondered if she had a sore throat.

"Thank you very much! We can eat the pie together. Please come in." Mrs. Dursley said happily, inviting her neighbor to go to the living room.

Harry ducked behind the stove as his aunt went into the kitchen. Mrs. Dursley took out some plates and cups. She made tea quickly and poured it into the cups. She glared at her nephew in annoyance.

"Go prepare for the dinner!" Mrs. Dursley hissed. Then she made her way back into the living room again.

Harry looked at the shopping bags and sighed. He did not actually have to cook, as his aunt did not trust him and was afraid that he would poison them. Yet he still did not like preparing for the dinner. The little child eyed the knife warily. He did not like that pointy instrument very much. He always cut himself, as his hands were too small to hold a knife firmly and properly. Harry also had to stand on a chair when he prepared food, and this always led to countless unpleasant accidents. Harry still remembered the incident four weeks ago. He carelessly knocked over a pot of boiling water. He was not able to dodge the hot liquid in time since he was standing on a chair. He received large and angry blisters on his legs. They were awfully painful. Harry grimaced at the memory and scratched his legs absent-mindedly.

Harry fumbled inside the shopping bags. He picked some vegetables and a bag of chicken slices. The boy bit his lower lip thoughtfully. May be he could make some curry chicken. He put the chicken slices into a bowl and added two spoonfuls of curry powder. Unfortunately, he breathed some of the powder and he sneezed, loudly. Harry froze, hoping his aunt could not hear him. He strained his ears to hear the voices coming form the living room. Aunt Petunia seemed to be engrossed in the conversation with Mrs. Warren. The child let out his breath in relief.

The young boy decided to wash the vegetables first. When he plunged his hands into the water, he suddenly remembered.

"Oh no! I wet my hands again!" Harry exclaimed softly. He immediately jerked his hands out of the sink and observed the gauzes.

The gauzes and bandages all looked very dry.

Harry blinked. _It is not possible!_ He thought numbly. He put his hands into the water again and counted to ten.

He examined the dressings more closely this time, yet he got the same result. Finally, curiosity got out of him. He tore off the bandages off his palms hastily.

Only to find that the nasty wounds were healed, not a single scar was left behind.

"Whoa," Harry could only utter this word, completely in awe.

* * *

_Hello! Merry Christmas! I decide that I would find a beta-reader after I have posted all the chapters... I apologize if I have made any serious grammatical mistakes in the following chapters._

_Thanks to all reviewers:_

**Kylena****, k00lgirl1808, PhoenixPadfoot89, Kemenran, Daintress, RaistlinofMetallica, Padfoot, KC, IriaSenko, Jedi Sapphire, CrimsonTearsOfPain and **Kemenran****


	8. Mr Lupin's House

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 7 ¡V Mr. Lupin's House**

Harry peeked at Willow Drive among the trunks. Aunt Petunia asked him to weed the garden before she went shopping, yet he had finished his chore within thirty minutes. Knowing that his aunt would not be back within two hours, he sneaked into the small forest.

Little Harry had picked some flowers and grass to knit a small, lovely bracelet. He was going to give it to Mr. Lupin. He wanted to express his thanks, as the gentleman had healed his wounds. Yet he did not have pocket money to buy some candies for the man. He wanted to give a lollypop to Mr. Lupin so badly. He thought the man would like it.

A small blue tit flew over and landed on the child's messy hair. It took a look at the bracelet. Then it hopped onto Harry's arm and began to peck at the bracelet.

"Don't, Blueberry. It's not food!" Harry said, taking the tiny bracelet out of the bird's reach. Blueberry was a lovely bird Harry found in the small woodland. It was learning to fly and once, it flew into a tree and landed in a heap on Harry's lap. The blue tit had allowed Harry to take care of its wounds. It seemed to trust him and was not afraid of the child after the incident. Harry decided to name it Blueberry because it had blue feathers on its wings and more importantly, the little boy was hungry at that time and was thinking about various kinds of food. 

Blueberry looked at him with its tiny black eyes and chirped twice. It hopped onto Harry's shoulder and brushed its head against the child's cheek. Harry giggled uncontrollably. It felt so ticklish.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Harry gasped between laughs. There were sparkles of amusement and happiness within his green orbs. He retreated back into the woods. Then he used his free hand to take a tiny piece of bread, which was part of his breakfast, out of the pocket of his oversized jeans. He slowly sat on the muddy ground and placed the food on his lap.

"You can have it if you like." Harry said, gesturing the food, though he did not know whether the feathery guy would understand him.

Blueberry chirped in delight. It flew onto Harry's lap. The tiny bird let out a series of tweets and peeps, before it wolfed down the food quickly. Several blue tits flew down and enjoyed their meals. Several seconds later, two pigeons and four sparrows also found their way to perch on Harry's legs as well. They competed among themselves for more food and ended up in a confusing bird fight.

Harry winced as he felt the claws and beaks scratching his thighs. His jeans were so worn out and thin that they couldn't protect his sensitive skin. It was actually hurting him a little bit when the birds fought for the tiny piece of food. The child did not want to scare the birds away, so he remained unmoved and allowed his lap to be used as a battlefield. He intelligently took out another piece of bread. One of the pigeons gave an excited coo and snatched its meal with its beak. It flew away rather quickly. All the other birds chased after its tail.

The child stood up and dusted off several feathers that were sticking on his cloths. He sniffed his shirt. _Bird_'_s smell_. He cringed. Aunt Petunia would not be pleased about that.

Pushing the unpleasant thought away, Harry peered at Willow Drive again. He did not know which house Mr. Lupin was living in. He just hoped he could run into the kind man before his aunt came back.

Harry looked at the houses in Willow Drive and let out an exasperated sigh. He had finally given up guessing which house Mr. Lupin was living in. instead, his gaze fell upon the house which had 'number seven' written on its door plate. The lawn in front of the house was neatly mowed and several flowering plants were growing very healthily in it. It seemed that a new person had moved into the ghost house. Harry remembered what Dudley told his peers. There were a lot of strange things happened in that house. The last resident, Ms. Zimmer, was screaming about ghosts when she ran away from the property, not bothering to pack all of her belongings. No one, except the poor house owner, was willing to go near to the house after the incident.

The little boy did not dare to go near it, either. He had seen a pearly white thing floating around the house half a year ago. Harry could vow that the thing could pass through walls. May be there was really a ghost living in the house, or may be it was an alien who wanted to use the property as its fortress, so that it could plan how to control the Earth. Harry thought that the second assumption was better. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia said that ghosts did not exist in the world. They were very mad at him when the child talked about the 'flying white thing'.

A creak caught the child's attention. Someone is coming out of the ghost house! Harry looked intently at the person's face. He gaped in surprise. The new resident is Mr. Lupin! The thought about the occupant being controlled by a dangerous alien was thrown away hastily as he ran towards his 'savior'. 

"Mr. Lupin!" Harry yelled as he saw that man was leaving soon. He skidded into a halt when Remus turned around. The little boy nervously flattened his hair. He did not want Remus to see his scar. Aunt Petunia said that it was ugly and disgusting. He didn't want to make Mr. Lupin sick.

Remus stopped in his tracks when he heard the childish shout. He recognized the voice at once. It was Hans.

The man spun around and saw Hans nervously approached him. The child was styling his hair to no avail. As a matter of fact, Hans' hair was grown all over the place. If Hans did not have big, brilliant green eyes, Remus could not really tell if he was facing the back of the boy's head.

"Hello, Hans. What're you doing here?" Remus asked warmly as Hans stared at him.

"I-" Hans suddenly became very embarrassed. He didn't know whether Mr. Lupin would like the bracelet.

"Hmm?"

Hans stuffed the bracelet into Remus' hands. He mumbled a feeble 'thank you'.

Remus looked at the hand-made bracelet. Its pattern was a bit childish, yet it was knitted very nicely. The werewolf was touched.

"You made it for me?" he managed to say. Something was swelling within his heart. The feeling was exotic, yet familiar to him. It was like the feeling he had when James and Sirius had not abandoned him for what he was. It was like the feeling when baby Harry kissed on his cheek.

Hans nodded shyly. "Thanks for curing my hands." he mumbled again, but it was loud enough for Remus to make out the words.

"You're welcome. I like the bracelet very much. It's very beautiful." Remus finished in a rush. He was delighted to see the happiness glitter in Hans' eyes. 

Remus looked at his watch. May be he could visit his neighbors later. He held the child's small hand in his smiled gently.

"Why don't we have some tea in my house?" the man suggested as he guided the boy towards the front door.

Hans hesitated, but he didn't pull away. Mr. Lupin was very nice. So he was not likely to be controlled by an aggressive alien. Hans decided it was safe to enter the ghost house. The man could fight against the alien if it turned up.

The werewolf led Hans towards the living room. The first thing the child noticed was the lifelessness of the house. There was no picture, no photo and decoration. The room was quite nicely furnished, but Hans knew all the pieces of furniture belonged to Mr. Green. Several pieces of newspapers scattered on the sofa.

"Have a seat, child. I'll be right back." Remus told the boy. He went to the kitchen to prepare some food and drinks.

Hans did not dare sitting on the sofa. Uncle Vernon said that he was not allowed to do so. Besides, his jeans were covered with mud and grasses. Mr. Lupin would not be pleased if he made the sofa dirty.

The little boy listened to the soft clinking sounds coming from the kitchen. He wanted to help the man, but he did not know whether Mr. Lupin would like it. Looking back at the sofa, Hans made a quick decision and started to gather the newspapers into a tidy pile.

* * *

Author's notes:

I'm sorry that I couldn't update this story sooner. My school life is pretty stressful¡K I know it's not a good excuse¡K Anyway, I'll try my best to manage both together.

Thanks to all reviewers:

**_ProWriter121, Miss Perfect, Katie, Vega_Obscura_the King, Goten-Lupin, KC, Eizoku, PhoenixPadfoot89, k00lgirl1808, Kemenran_**


	9. The Wolf's Den

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 8 ¡V The Wolf's Den**

Remus came into the living room with some sandwiches and two cups of apple-flavored tea. He was astonished to see Hans tidying the sofa. He put the tray on the table. Hans looked up and grinned sheepishly.

"Thank you so much, Hans. I must have forgotten to tidy up the couch." Remus said and sat on the sofa.

The child's grin became even wider. Mr. Lupin liked his help! He stared at the sandwiches on the plate. They looked very delicious. His stomach gave a loud growl.

Remus chuckled at the sound. Noticing that Hans was still standing on his feet, he patted the cushion beside him and said, "Why don't you sit down and have some food? I'm sure that you're hungry."

Hans' face paled a little and he fidgeted nervously. He mumbled a few words in a rush. His words were sticking together and Remus couldn't quite catch that.

"What was that, child?" Remus asked, slightly amused that even his werewolf-enhanced hearing was not sensitive enough to hear what the boy was saying.

"My jeans are dirty." Hans said unhappily.

"That's alright."

Hans was still unsure what to do. He really wanted to sit on the fluffy, soft couch. He had never sat on a comfortable sofa before. He remembered that last time he went 'too near' to the sofa, he ended up washing the toilet and sleeping on the floor without a blanket as punishment. The child tentatively ran his fingers over the soft fabric of the sofa, lost in his memories.

Remus did not miss the hesitation on Hans' face. He also noticed there was a trace of fear within the emerald orbs. The child was afraid of something, but he did not know what the cause of it was. Suppressing a sigh, Remus pulled the boy forward. The man picked up the child and settled the young boy on his lap.

"Here, you won't dirty the couch then." the werewolf said quietly, a gentle smile on his face.

Hans struggled feebly against Remus. At first he thought that he had offended Mr. Lupin, but when the shouts and harsh words did not come, the child started to relax. A hand rubbed his back in circles gently. Hans leaned into the touch; it was so comforting and soothing. He had never been held like this before. He had seen Aunt Petunia cuddling his cousin, Dudley, many times. He was envious of his cousin, but he did not dare asking his aunt to hold him like this. He always wondered why people were so happy when they are holding each other. Yet he knew now. He felt safe in the man's embrace. Hans snuggled deeper into the warmth and closed his eyes, enjoying this valuable moment. Hans could hear the man's heartbeat. It was steady and gentle. He was about to doze off when his stomach gave another loud, protesting groan.

Hans blushed furiously.

"Hungry, are we?" Remus teased playfully. He grabbed a sandwich and handed it to Hans.

Hans took a bite. It was delicious. The boy could feel that his stomach stop squeezing immediately. He had never eaten something so good. Hans wolfed down the food quickly and let out a content sigh.

Remus sipped the apple-flavored tea slowly, carefully watching the child on his lap with tenderness. He was delighted as Hans trusted him enough to sit on his lap. Not many people dared to have such closed contact with him, except Lily and the other three Marauders. His heart ached. It was painful to think about his best friends' fates. He pulled himself out of his thoughts. Then he noticed that Hans was staring at him in concern.

"You're unhappy?" Hans spoke softly. His eyes seemed to be glowing, an unreadable emotion swirling within them.

"How do you know?" Remus asked, trying to avoid Han's intent gaze.

Hans shrugged absent-mindedly. Yet he did not break his gaze on Remus. The penetrating stare reminded Remus of Dumbledore. The intelligent jade orbs were staring into his very soul. Remus felt a tingle through his body. The protective wall he built around himself suddenly gave out and he was overwhelmed by strong, depressed emotions. The man could not bear anymore and he averted his gaze hastily.

"I was just thinking of my friends. You look like my best friend." Remus couldn't help spilling it out. He did not notice that his voice was cracking a little bit.

Hans nodded in understanding. He corked his head to observe Mr. Lupin more closely. Remus, sensing the stare, shifted nervously. It was unnerving to be stared at like this.

"You must like them very much." Hans said quietly, a far-away look in his eyes. "Sorry that I make you feel unhappy." He said in shame as he felt the emotional pain radiating from the man.

"It's not your fault." Remus wrapped his arms around Hans' waist gently. "They just came across my mind. I miss them." The werewolf knew it was no use telling the child about this. Hans would not understand in his young age.

Hans was relieved that Mr. Lupin was not mad at him. He relaxed into Remus' embrace. He felt accepted and welcomed. He never had this feeling when he was in his so called 'home'. Whenever he was near to his family, he could feel that the temperature of his surroundings dropped dramatically. The poor child found it difficult to breathe when his aunt and uncle looked at him. There was something bad coming from the couple, but Hans could not describe it. Whatever it was, it made Hans want to back away and hide in his cupboard. Mr. Lupin was different. He felt secured and being loved when the man was around him. The man always smiled. He liked staying with Mr. Lupin. Hans had a strange feeling that he knew the man long time ago.

"I've no friends."Hans suddenly said to no one in particular. That was true. His guardians never allowed him to go to their neighbors' house, except for Mrs. Figg's. He was not allowed to play with other youngsters.

Remus tightened his hold. _No friends_, he thought bitterly_, just like me when I was young_. The werewolf looked at the miserable child. Hans was an adorable and innocent kid. He could not understand why Hans had no friends at all.

"Why?" Remus asked the child, slightly afraid that he would hurt the little boy's feelings.

"Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia say that I'm a bad boy. So no one plays with me." Hans answered unhappily. His face was downcast and he whispered tearfully, "No one likes me."

Remus brushed away the tears that were making their way down Hans' face. He put the child on his feet and stared into the haunted green eyes.

"You're not a bad kid, little one." Remus said carefully, hoping the boy would understand. "Your uncle and aunt lied to you. People don't play with you because they don't see the truth. You're a wonderful kid, Hans. I like you very much."

Hans looked at the man. Mr. Lupin's voice was sincere. The brown-haired man liked him. The child felt his gloomy mood lighten up a bit.

Remus smiled at the sparkle in Hans' eyes. "Do you want me to be your friend?"

Hans' heart hitched. _Someone really liked him, after all¡K_ He nodded timidly. The boy's face heated up and he gripped his jeans nervously, trying to hide his embarrassment.

He was picked up by a pair of strong arms again. He felt someone ruffled his already-untidy jet-black hair. A hand lifted his chin and he found that he was staring into two warm, chestnut-brown eyes.

"If you want to make friends with me, you have to call me 'Remus' first." The young wizard said in a mock-serious tone.

A genuine smile crept onto Hans' little face. Hans took the statement rather seriously.

"Remus¡K"

* * *

Thanks to all reviewers:

**_PhoenixPadfoot89, k00lgirl1808, CTHKSI, kianie, Wynjara, Queen of Zan, Kemenran, Alexis_Lee, KC, prettyfoot, valanthe, x-woman1, Velvet Revolution, Eizoku, Gabriela13, Delphi Lupin, babs, magicgirl10, moo, ufdguyudew, and CanaryCream._**

Author's notes: Wow! Your reviews are spoiling me. Anyway, thank you very much. Your support means a lot to me. See you in July!


	10. Getting closer

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 9 - Getting Closer**

Remus and Hans spent the next thirty minutes chatting about their daily lives. The man made the child eat another sandwich. He said Hans was too thin and that was not healthy. The child, of course, tried to protest that he was not thin. Remus ignored him and watched the child like a hawk to make sure that Hans ingested the whole sandwich.

Hans licked his fingers clean and watched as the clock struck four. However, there was no sound coming from the batter-looking device. He frowned and turned to Remus.

"Why doesn't the clock sing?" the child asked curiously.

It took five seconds for Remus to figure out what Hans meant. He looked at the boy and shrugged.

"It's not working, I guess. The clock has never chimed before."

Hans looked at the clock thoughtfully. He could feel that there was something wrong with the clock. May be he could help Remus repairing it. He had made Dudley's broken alarm clock sing before by shaking it violently.

"Do you want me to fix it?" Hans asked shyly.

"You can repair a clock? You must be pretty bright!" Remus smiled as he saw the child practically glowed in pride. Children really needed lots of encouragement in their development. Remus noticed that Hans always blamed himself when something bad happened. May be the kid's relatives had something to do with that.

After he had put the pitiful clock on the table, Remus watched with interest as the child started to examine the timing device. Hans checked the batteries first, but there was nothing wrong. Then the child fingered the creak at the side of the clock. He dug his nails into it skillfully and bit his lower lip. With a soft click, he lifted the cover of the clock.

There were a few feathers and leaves inside the clock. Hans looked at the metal components, not knowing what to do next. Recalling how he managed to 'fix' a clock last time, the boy picked up the electronic device and began to shake it vigorously.

Remus did not expect that Hans would shake the clock out of desperation. He was about to snatch the device away from the child's small hands when a bright blue streak caught his attention. The werewolf swallowed a gasp of surprise as he recognized the creature. _It was a faerie!_ The tiny being was definitely a female. She had two thin, pointy ears and her silver hair was gently swaying in the air. Her wings were beautiful. They were transparent, but carrying a slight electric blue tint. The most enchanting feature of hers was the calming blue glow that surrounded her body.

Unfortunately, the little being's beauty was totally ruined by the angry features on her face.

Remus saw the faerie shaking her tiny fists angrily. She let out a series of annoyed humming sounds. No doubt that she was complaining about how her living place was being disturbed. She shook her tiny fists at Hans' nose and flew through the open window with a furious buzz.

Hans blinked and shook his head, trying to convince himself that he was not dreaming. Then he realized that he was gaping. He closed his jaw hastily.

"D-did you see that?" the boy squeaked. His childish voice was higher than normal.

Remus gulped. _How come there is a faerie in a muggle house?_ He looked at his charge's hysterical expression. The man didn't want to make Hans think that he was crazy. He tried to keep his face blank as he nodded carefully.

Hans' green eyes widened as he exclaimed, "So that's the alien who's living here!"

Remus raised an eyebrow. _An alien?__ The faerie would be very upset if she hears this..._

"There's really an alien in this house!" the little boy started to babble. "That's why Ms. Zimmer was so scared! The alien must have threatened her! Dudley is right! It causes a lot of strange things to happen!"

Remus nearly laughed aloud. He doubted that the tiny being would cause such disturbance. The werewolf recalled that faeries liked to observe and study magical folks. May be there was a wizard or witch resided in this house some time ago. Remus wondered whether there were some enchanted objects left in the house. He pushed the thought aside as he realized that Hans was still babbling madly.

"Enough already! It's okay! She's gone." Remus chided.

The boy cringed and shut his mouth with a snap. Remus nearly cursed himself aloud- he frightened Hans again.

"Hans, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just you wouldn't stop talking. I'm afraid that the little alien will come back and fly into your mouth." Remus said gently, hoping he could calm the boy.

"Oh." Hans gave a hesitated smile. The fear within the green orbs turned to uneasiness. The child lowered his head and played with his battered jeans.

"Why don't you teach me how to fix the clock? I'd like to learn that." Remus said awkwardly after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Hans brightened up a bit. He started showing the structures of the clock to Remus. Remus couldn't help smiling as the child pointed at the moving gears and proclaimed that they were circles with lots of teeth. After pulling a few leaves (which looked horribly like the faerie's dress) away from several unmoving gears, the clock gave a soft click and all the tiny structures rotated smoothly again.

"I think that should do." Remus said as he tested for the sound system of the clock. It chimed a beautiful song as once.

"The 'London Bridge'!" Hans piped as the music echoed through the house; all thoughts about the 'evil alien' were forgotten.

"You're really brilliant!" Remus scooped the kid into his arms and swung Hans in the air. The child squealed in surprise.

The man held the child in front of him. Hans' emerald eyes seemed to be glowing with happiness. His face was flushed and his messy hair was all over his face. The boy was panting a little, but he didn't struggle to get out of Remus' grip.

"Wanna try something more exciting?" Remus asked jokingly.

Hans grinned widely. Remus chuckled and without warning, he threw the skinny boy up into the air. Hans cried out frantically at the first time, but quickly calmed down when Remus caught him before he hit the ground. Then he started to enjoy the feeling of free falling. It really felt like flying. The child opened his arms widely, allowing the wind to caress his skin and ruffle his hair. It was the first time he played with other people.

Remus laughed joyfully as the child tried to mimic a flying bird. He hadn't felt this care-free since James and Peter died. If he wasn't so busy throwing and catching the raven-haired boy, he should have noticed that there was an odd scar on Hans' forehead... in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Sorry for the delay... Hope you will enjoy this chapter!

Thanks to all reviewers:

**_TheDreamerLady_****_, gohan/videlgoten/trunkslover, Moonmage, Von, enb2004, Gia, Adenara Yatman, Tara, Signe, kianie, Eizoku, Jarvey, samyjoc, LALALALALA LiZ, Drigpawz, BlackPotterGrl, KC, Doneril, rena, Joulez, Kemenran, PhoenixPadfoot89 and k00lgirl1808._**


	11. Punishment

**Memory of a Wolf**

**Chapter 10 - Punishment**

Petunia Dursley was not pleased at all. She had come home earlier and found that Harry had disappeared. The little brat had finished his chore before he left, though. _If he thinks that he'd not be punished, then he's totally mistaken_, Petunia thought with a nasty glint in her eyes. She knew her nephew would become a freak, just like her sister and brother-in-law. She wouldn't tolerate a freak inside her house. She swore that she would grind the abnormal power out of the boy. Punishing her nephew would lower the brat's self-esteem. Hopefully the boy would not become aware of his abnormality. Watching the boy become quiet and submissive satisfied her. The boy seemed to be happier recently, and Petunia was determined to make him become miserable again.

The front door creaked and a messy-haired boy slipped into the house warily. He was sneaking back to his cupboard when a stern voice froze him.

"Where have you been, boy?" Mrs. Dursley asked her nephew coldly. She saw the boy flinched like a frightened animal. She couldn't help feeling very smug.

Harry didn't know his aunt would come home this early. He knew he was in big trouble now. He should have checked the time when he was playing in Remus' house. The tone of his aunt's query made his blood run cold. He couldn't gather up his courage to look into the woman's eyes.

"The woodland," Harry mumbled inaudibly. Although he was staring at his very worn-out shoes, he could still feel the woman scowling at him.

"Who gave you the permission to leave the house? _Huh_?" Petunia sneered. She should punish the boy for his insolence.

"B-but I've finished weeding the garden. So I think-" Harry stuttered. He was gripping his jeans very tightly.

"_Freaks_ don't deserve to go out." Mrs. Dursley interrupted the boy and narrowed her eyes. She was about to say something more damaging when the door rang.

"You stay here… _Don't move_!" She snapped and turned away to answer the door.

Harry silently prayed that it wasn't his uncle and cousin. His fragile hope was shuttered as his aunt came into the living room with her husband.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, boy?" Uncle Vernon asked in annoyance as he noticed the grim expression on his wife's face.

"He sneaked into the woodland without my permission." Mrs. Dursley said.

The fat man's face immediately turned purple. A sudden thought came to the man's irrational mind. What if someone met the boy and knew about the brat's freakishness? What if the boy had bad-mouthed his family? He marched towards the boy and grabbed Harry's small shoulder, pulling the child to face him painfully.

"What do you think you're doing? Remember what I've told you? You are not allowed to wander off without our permission!" Mr. Dursley ranted, spitting at the child's face. Harry shut his eyes tightly, so that he wouldn't face the scary expression on his ugly, fat uncle's face.

"LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M SPEAKING TO YOU!" Uncle Vernon roared. Harry jerked his eyes open. He struggled weakly to get away from his uncle, but Vernon gripped the small boy's shoulders even more tightly. Harry had to bite his lip to prevent from crying out in pain. He could feel a bruise forming.

Petunia stood beside her husband, folding her arms across her chest and watched the exchange silently. Well, her excuse of a nephew really deserved it. She could still remember how her parents praised Lily when the idiot received the Hogwarts' letter. She must have used her abnormal power to steal her parents' love and attention. Lily snatched Petunia's friends away. Everyone adored the red-haired girl after Lily was born. No one paid attention to Petunia again. Lily was only a _freak_! Why couldn't people see how evil she was? She was only using her abnormality to gain other people's love and admiration.

Petunia hated Lily and her magic. The witched was dead, but Petunia could still seek revenge on her sister's child. Oh how she _loved_ to see Harry's anguished face when she snapped at him. She could almost see Lily's downcast face, begging her to stop. She had to force the happiness out of those emerald orbs.

Harry was now shaking like a leaf, but his uncle hadn't finished with him yet. Vernon Dursley was scared that someone would find that an abnormal child was living in his property. It was surely a disgrace to his family.

"HAVE YOU MET ANYONE? HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING FREAKISH IN FRONT OF THEM?" Vernon asked the questions again and again.

"N-No! I'm sorry!" Harry cried. He was so scared that he didn't dare to admit that he had had tea in Remus' house.

Satisfied with the boy's answer, Mr. Dursley released the child. Harry's shaking legs gave away and he fell onto the floor. The child tried to scramble back to his feet weakly. The Dursley couple just stared at their nephew in distaste. No one thought of helping the boy.

At this time, Harry's cousin, Dudley, finally showed his presence. He poked his meaty face into the living room. The fat boy looked at Harry and wrinkled his nose.

"Mum, Harry stinks!" Dudley whined and pretended to be sick.

His words caught Mrs. Dursley's attention. She noticed Harry's muddy jeans. She sniffed and discovered that the boy smelled like a bird.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Mummy won't let the smelly _thing_ go around the house." Petunia assured her son. Then she turned to the distressed boy and said coldly, "Take off your jeans and wash them yourself."

When Harry made no move to do what she said, Petunia snapped, "_Now!_"

Harry took off his jeans reluctantly. Petunia knew that the boy didn't have another pair for change. All his other clothing was inside the washing machine. Luckily his worn-out T-shirt was large enough to cover his boxers. Yet he couldn't help bowing his head in shame.

When the boy made his way to the washroom, he heard Dudley teased, "Aw, smelly Harry only has his boxers on!"

Harry could feel his eyes tearing up. No, he wouldn't cry in front of his nasty relatives. The boy rubbed his jeans in the water even harder. His sensitive skin became red as he washed the rough fabric. The boy didn't feel any pain. He only felt sadness and embarrassment.

The little confidence and self-esteem he built up in Remus' house was crushed. Harry had withdrawn to himself once again.

-

Sorry for the delay...I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

Thanks to all reviewers:

**_Kemenran_****_, Cassiopeia Stargazer, Joulez, wolfawaken, enb2004, blah, Gia, Japonica, corinnetkn24, magicgirl10, samyjoc, hydraspit, Lady Phoenix Slytherin, k00lgirl1808, Crissy Potter, Queen-of-Gondor, Amber, Moonmage, TheDreamerLady, steveperrysgirl, Padfoot-Dog1234, Eizoku, Japonica, corinnetkn24 and aerinoutlander_**


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